F1 2022 thread - see post 1 for rules

flazio

End of an era.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.legendary-1950s-f1-racer-tony-brooks-passes-away-aged-90.2qu9c1Z2v0idxldQyUyfq9.html

guyfo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119008682#Comment_119008682

Australia was only a few weeks ago and had the exact same start time....

mickdw

So what will the Audi Porsche setup look like?

Porsche buy out redbull Engine department in a deal to supply redbull and Audi teams with Engines?

Audi buy McLaren and rebrand the F1 team while keeping the road car brand?

Schorpio

No chance of a rebrand for McLaren F1. They are one of the most historic and successful F1 teams ever. There would be uproar - can't ever see it happening.

I'm hoping for a new team, but with the well-documented struggles of Toyota (and to a lesser extent, Honda), I'm not holding my breath.

Red Bull seems plausible, but I can't see them even giving up works team status now.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018543#Comment_119018543

Yeah that's the way it's being reported at the moment. Mclaren had already been sold so its really only mclaren in name only at this stage. They'd probably be McLaren-Audi. But the McLaren part is based in Dubai at the moment rather than the old English brand.

But as the post above demonstrates, F1 fans are very attached to tokens like team names, even if the actual team has been sold and the is just a convention.

Audi would probably keep the McLaren name to avoid triggering some fans. They'd probably have to be buying the road car business too. Otherwise it would make no sense to keep the McLaren name.

There's also been some speculation that Stroll might sell Aston Martin. But that seemed a lot more speculative.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018679#Comment_119018679

Mclaren are in dire straits financially though. They struggled pre covid and hadn't sell the family jewels and borrow significantly since then

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119018679#Comment_119018679

Red Bull were forced into constructor status by Honda deciding to pull out. They're taking over Honda's program and rebranding it, but engines are frozen for the next couple of years so all they really need to do is keep up production right now. They have been hiring engine people and investing in it to make sure they don't fall behind, but I expect they'll be happy to work with a manufacturer for the next regulations rather than taking on designing a completely new engine themselves.

The general rumours continue to be that Red Bull Porsche is almost certain along with a less fully fleshed out plan for a full Audi team. Whether the Audi team is brand new or a buy out of an existing team is in question - it's clear they are interested in McLaren but were turned down in their initial acquisition attempt. Williams and Sauber are potentially on their radar too as an alternative to building something from the ground up. There's talk of Aston Martin as an Audi works team too but that would presumably be as an engine supplier only as the team exists to push the Aston Martin brand and Stroll is investing quite heavily right now so would be unlikely to hand over the reigns before the investment bore fruit.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019877#Comment_119019877

The AM-Audi connection was based on Stroll selling up. He's the connection to AM so it would lose the AM branding once he left.

AMKC

https://youtu.be/Bg3bNlpIfzw

I think this just confirms what I think a lot of us in here knew anyway. I have not watched the video yet but will later when home.

firminjo

Will porsche be racing as porsche?

El_Duderino 09

Suggestions are that porsche will just build engines. They say Red Bull will likely team.up with them so Red Bull Porsche. Audi will need to buy a team and probably use the Porsche engines.

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119019877#Comment_119019877

Don't disagree with any of that.

Just to clarify my earlier post - I was really referring to the McLaren name being phased out. I can see the team being sold, but then it would be McLaren-Audi etc. I don't foresee the McLaren name being dropped. I struggle to see it working though. It would mean that the VW group would be implicitly linked to the McLaren roadcar business by association, and not sure how they would view that.

RB-Porsche is also likely, but I would imagine that RB would seek a hefty works-constructor deal. They won't have forgotten the end of the Renault days.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020345#Comment_119020345

I don't think so. The video suggests he's a decebt driver who was being held back by various factors at Mercedes. This forum spent the last few years pillorying him for being shyte, not up to f1 or bottom tier.

It would be interesting to see posters do a complete volte-face and acknowledge that he's a decent mid table driver though.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020432#Comment_119020432

If they're not buying the road car business, then why would they keep the McLaren name? Advertise a supercar brand for free while putting the name ahead of their own brand? Unless McLaren were willing to buy sponsorship, then I'd say they'd just have to drop the mclaren name as it would be about advertising Audi, not McLaren.

Have we heard if the McLaren supercar business is likely to be part of the deal? I'd assume they're very separate businesses.

firminjo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020388#Comment_119020388

Ah okay fair enough , thank you!

El_Duderino 09

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernano-alonso-linked-aston-martin/

Rumours about AM being interested in Alonso are doing the rounds again. I've no idea if they're true but it would make sense. Alpine is going nowhere. They might be a profitable team but they're not a serious contender for any championships or even race wins.

I was skeptical of Aonso's return but I think he's shown he still has it. Vettel is not getting any better and he's pretty far off his best. I wouldn't begrudge him retirement at the end of the season. I don't think anyone wants to see Vettel slide like Kimi did. I know a lot of people pretended Kimi was funny, phoning it in and being on par with a journeyman like Gio. But in all honesty it was sad to watch. If vettel can't improve, then I'd like to see him retire and avoid that spectacle.

dulpit

Saw this earlier. Now I'm not a Hamilton fan at all, but to be fair to him, it's not cool that senior people from other teams (specifically red bull) would suggest he retire. Fair enough it might have been a joke, but still..

https://youtu.be/z68v2Z27MaA

sam t smith

^ Ridiculous storm in a teacup.

I saw Herbert going off on a rant about it.

Hamilton, Wolff and Mercedes created a massive amount of ill-will on the Red Bull side with how they handled the Silverstone victory celebration.

The Red Bull team members won’t forget that.

If the comment ‘offends’ someone then that’s their problem.

sam t smith

I liked this one from Horner though:

"He's obviously had a horrible weekend, but he's still an eight-time World Champion," said Horner, before correcting himself to say "seven-time" after "forgetting" the title won by Nico Rosberg.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119025116#Comment_119025116

He didn't say Hamilton should retire.

Sky asked Marko what he thought was going through Hamilton's mind, and he replied jokingly replied that maybe he is thinking he should have stopped last year. That's a fair comment, it's a commentary about the situation that Hamilton finds himself in rather than a dig at him.

quokula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026917#Comment_119026917

Yep and the same British media who are having a tantrum over this barely let a week go by without suggesting Vettel should retire despite the fact that he’s been performing far better than Lewis in much worse machinery and has continued to be one of the most liked and respected figures in the sport.

mr_edge_to_you

For those interested the additions of new teams, there was a great interview with Mario Andretti during the Sainz red flag. Sounds like he is itching to go for 2024.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119026947#Comment_119026947

Ah, we really should stop feigning surprise that the British media is partial to Lewis. If we're being honest, we all know that our own media would be partial to an Irish champion too. It's just the game they have to play.

El_Duderino 09

Ferrari under investigation for breaking rules during a three rest after Imola. Teams can't test new parts, they have to ha very been used in the previous races.

Interesting one to follow

Motorsport.com: FIA probing Ferrari F1 car spec amid tyre test questions.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-probing-ferrari-f1-car-spec-amid-tyre-test-questions/10297670/amp/

Itssoeasy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027129#Comment_119027129

There’s a difference imo in being partial to supporting a driver(or any sportsperson) from your home country but the way sky go on, you’d swear Lewis is beyond criticism and nothing he does is his fault, and given he’s in his mid thirties, he shouldn’t be getting other people to defend him when there’s legitimate criticism towards him.

the worst are Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, and Jolyon palmer who at times has talked utter rubbish.

El_Duderino 09

They go over the top in supporting him. And it's not their job to be impartial. It's only sport.

I would say that he's not asking Sky, or anyone else, to defend him.

sam t smith

Hamilton has already backed down re the jewellery.

Looks like this comment from Hamilton was a bit of a solo run:

"If they stop me then so be it. We’ve got a spare driver, so we’re well prepped for the weekend. There’s lots to do in the city anyway."

The ‘we’ ie the team paying him tens of millions probably had something to say about it.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119029690#Comment_119029690

I'm not sure he has. He may have removed some stuff for this weekend but there are quotes about saying he will refuse to take out the nose ring after the two race exemption he has.

Jordan 199

Alonso is having a horror season so far. Only scored points in one race (season opener) and is 16th in the championship standings.

Widdensushi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119029690#Comment_119029690

No one will be stopping him driving other than himself and his ego, people around the world are starving, being murdered, raped etc but Hamilton is being violated because he is being asked, given weeks to remove a nose ring, honestly.... Go and do whatever takes your fancy in" the city "